2019 ozone hole could be smallest in three decades
The EU’s Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS) says it’s currently well under half the area usually seen in mid-September.
Humankind
This archive collects milestones and solutions-focused stories where humanity as a collective is the actor — moments when people across nations, cultures, and communities have made measurable progress on shared challenges. From public health to environmental repair, these stories highlight what human cooperation and ingenuity can accomplish.
One-sixth of global economy now under net zero commitments
A report has found that almost one-sixth of global GDP is contributed to by nations, regions, and cities that have committed to net zero emissions.
Child and teen deaths worldwide fall by 50% from 1990 to 2017
New research in the journal JAMA Pediatrics found that deaths among children and adolescents fell from 13.77 million in 1990 to 6.64 million in 2017.
Global cost of batteries drops 35% in 2018, paving the way for faster transition to low-carbon energy
The benchmark levelized cost of electricity, or LCOE, for lithium-ion batteries has fallen 35% to $187 per megawatt-hour since the first half of 2018.
Global solar PV market expected to see 25% growth in 2019
The global solar PV market is expected to bounce back from slower growth in 2018 with a return to form in 2019 that will see double-digit growth in the range of 25% and total solar installations nearing 130 GW.
One-third of world’s power plant capacity is now renewable
The data compiled by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) shows that two-thirds of the power capacity added around the world in 2018 was from renewables.
Global suicide rate has declined by 29% since 2000, saving 2.8 millions lives
There is no one reason for the global decline, but it is particularly notable among young women in China and India, middle-aged men in Russia, and the elderly.
More than 680 GW of new wind power to come online by 2027
More than 680 gigawatts (GW) of new wind power is expected to come online around the globe in the next decade, more than doubling current capacity, according to new research from Wood Mackenzie Power & Renewables.
Coal power plants lose their cost advantage over clean energy
In 2018, 42% of the world’s coal-fired power stations are running at a loss and by 2030, in virtually every case (96%) it will be cheaper to build new renewable energy capacity than to keep coal plants running, according to a new study.
World now has 1 TW of wind and solar capacity, 2 TW expected in 2023
The capital expenditure for constructing these plants totalled USD 2.3 trillion (EUR 1.99tr), while the next 1 TW of capacity will cost 46% less.